It’s our tradition, or it’s an essential part of the program to chant the maha-mantra. … The whole idea is to chant the maha-mantra for some time before we attempt to make a serious or meaningful presentation in terms of knowledge. The example is just like at the beginning of the class – at least when I was a little boy – the teacher wiped the whole slate clean, and then we were ready for a new day. So it’s like that. It’s meant to kind of clear your mind and make it more receptive and attentive and available to the subject matter.